Last night’s premiere of Smallville started out with a recap of various scenes from season 8 to help catch up viewers to the big events that concluded last season’s storylines.
It has felt like forever since we’ve seen Clark take down Doomsday, watched Jimmy die and saw Clark walk away from Chloe. So, it was quite a rush to watch the teaser lead into the 9th season of Smallville as we were treated to several details for the upcoming season.
Join us to recap and discuss the premiere of Season 9 of Smallville.
*** SPOILERS FROM HERE ON OUT***
It’s been 3 weeks since the events of last season’s finale when Lois (Erica Durance) returns to the present, showing up in a flash of light on a moving train. An unidentified female assassin who is pursuing her also shows up on the train in a similar flash of light. The train derails just after that and Clark shows up and catches it.
Clark (Tom Welling) has gone from the red-blue blur to just a blur in his new dark outfit. He’s also become compelled to burn his chest symbol into things when he makes a save, to leave his mark.
In these last 3 weeks, Clark has committed himself to training with Jor-El in the fortress of solitude. I found his conversation with Jor-El about his inability to fly interesting. Speaking of flying, did I miss it, or did they not show what happened after Clark jumped off the Statue of Liberty?
Meanwhile, it seems that Major Zod (Callum Blue) has been holed up in the Luthor mansion, having taken Tess Mercer (Cassidy Freeman) hostage, believing she has information he needs. He also has a number of soldiers from Kandor with him, but none of them have any powers under the yellow sun.
We’re also introduced to John Corben, the street reporter. It’s good to see Brian Austin Green on TV again, but John is a critic of “the blur’s” methods, questioning why he has to burn symbols at his rescue scenes. He openly calls him a vigilante.
Even though the female assassin who was pursuing Lois is never identified, she has the same powers as Clark and she brings some power-neutralizing blue kryptonite with her. It seems she wasn’t after Lois at all, but was just using her to lure Clark out since he is her true target. When she and Clark do deck it out, it seems to me that Clark’s training with Jor-El pays off as he stands his ground with her surprisingly well.
There were some interesting moments however, like the assassin telling Clark the world will end in a year and that she’s here to stop him, Chloe (Allison Mack) getting ticked at Clark for refusing her request to use the time-ring to save Jimmy, and the army of powerless Kryptonians at Zod’s command. That’s really befuddling me.
Lois hunting down Oliver/Green Arrow (Justin Hartley) and finding him in cage matches was interesting but dang, how quickly he sank to this new lifestyle. Jimmy’s death is having quite the impact on everyone, being as how everyone seems to be blaming themselves for it.
Was it me, or was Lois running around in tank tops in this episode more than usual? That wasn’t a complaint at all, just wondering out loud.
We also got to hear a new term for time travel: “Temporal Aperture Continuum” and I thought it was a nice cameo for the Statue of Liberty.
I’ve got to chime in about Oliver and the similarities between himself and Bruce Wayne / Batman has in his own mythos. Since we’ll never see Bats in Smallville, I find the parallels interesting. My final “ah-ha” moment pondering Oliver being the replacement Bats came when Oliver Queen’s money helped set up Chloe’s Watchtower. “Oliver may be AWOL, but his funds aren’t.” In the source material for this reimagination, Watchtower was funded by Bruce Wayne.
How’d We Feel About The New Episode?
This episode started out with the momentum from last season and different aspects of the upcoming season were introduced to us. I came away from the episode pleased but I have to wonder if they will be able to keep this up? They had a lot to feed us right away so they had material for us. Though the producers have said that this wasn’t going to be a dark season, there are a lot of story threads laced with overshadowing darkness to the characters.
If they can manage this momentum, it will be a good season but I think many of us are gun-shy after last seasons’ Doomsday buildup. Plus, if the show gets another season, will this affect what material they’ll deliver to us?
My thought is that if they feel that this is the last season, I presume they’ll be wrapping up a lot of things for us. But if they get another season, will the production team pull back and pace themselves, saving some of the plot points and issues for next season?
I have to admit; at the end of the episode when Lois laid down to go to sleep, she sure had one heck of a recall/dream sequence from her alternate time trip… I mean her temporal aperture continuum trip!
Your turn!
Time to chime in Screen Rant readers. We want to hear your thoughts on what you saw, what you felt while watching the start of the 9th season of Smallville!
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Foopher, the only reason I bother reading these comments is to find out what you think. I like your positive attitude, knowledge, and your take on the show. Many times you say exactly what I am thinking and I am saying “THANK YOU!” You often set other people straight (like about Jimmy). I had thought about not coming onto this site because of all the negative and often stupid comments, but I also like to get info about some of the movies, etc. and I couldn’t resist seeing if there was anything about the SV premier and what Foopher thought about it. I liked it but by now, I have already seen Episode 2 and liked it so much more.
Tricia,
Never let the comments themselves deter you.
If you like something we’ve written, please feel free to add your point of view.
That’s what we’re about here. Right Foopher? (He’ll agree… he has to. He’s my No. 1 commenting fan!)
-Bruce
LongtimeFan, it was actually you (not Foopher) who set them straight about Jimmy (for the 100th time), as well as other positive, informative points made in your comments.
Bruce, you are right and we are all entitled to our opinion, some of which are enlightening and informative. I can skip over the negative crap. I do pick up interesting tidbits once in a while, since I am not a comic book reader and often am seeing these characters for the first time. I don’t get why people get upset about “cheesy and cartoonish” once in a while because isn’t Superman from a COMIC BOOK? It can’t be movie quality every moment of every episode.
Just wondering if I was hallousinating or not, but did anyone else catch a good look at the police officer who kicked Lois & BAG off the wrecked train site during the season opener? I swear that it was Michael Rosenbaum doing a cameo appearance. I rewound it a few times and was more convinced each time. My 11 year old agreed with me too, but my wife wasn’t buying it. He had hair, so it was not as noticeable, but the voice definately caught my attention. I I haven’t found any proof yet, but I was wondering if anyone else agree’s with me? If you have a chance, check it out.
Umm, no, it wasn’t. You need new glasses.
Yes Bruce and Tricia, I agree. lol
Thank you Tricia (if you’re being sincere)
And mikeb,
That didn’t look or sound anything like Michael Rosenbaum. Sorry
Foopher, I am definitely being 100% sincere. I am also sincere that I have always liked Smallville (the show and the man) and will see it to the end. I enjoyed the season 9 premier and the 2nd episode “Metallo” even more. Looking forward to what’s ahead for all of the characters.
Mikeb, your seeing Michael Rosenbaum is wishful thinking. What a great idea that would be to place him in the background somewhere or in disguise. Wonder how much that would cost?
Well, I actually thought the 2nd episode was kind of boring. The trailer for season 9 rocked, so I hope that up the action more.
Well the first 2 aside, RABID was the most kick @$$ episode ever! They totally rocked out the zombies. Loved it
Ok, I just watched the premiere again and (it’s kind of obvious but I’ve got nothing better to do with my time right now) Zod and his people WILL get their powers. Because the Ninja lady (who is seen in Zod’s group) has her powers when she follows Lois back in time.
She was a year ahead of everybody so probably around the finale they’ll be all “suped” up
Woo! 100th post!!!
@Foopher- don’t feel too bad; when I was on maternity leave I rewatched every episode of every season.
Rabid was awesome, I’ll watch it again soon! Those zombies were truly grody- I like that they made them fast; they were scary.
I know people were not too excited about Major Zod in earlier posts (if I read between the lines, it seems some people thought he was a bit of a weenie)- how about that beheading at the end- ruthless, right?
OK, watched it again. I liked that he put the picture of Lana away- it seemed like he was closing a chapter of his life. Plus, who knew Clark was an avid scrapbooker?
The zombies were freaky, and the antidote distribution method reminded me of the original “V” miniseries and how they got rid of the aliens. Oops, spoiler alert.
So when is Lois going to start sharing her flashes so some future altering can take place? And are Dr. Emil and Chloe going to fall in love?
ssf, yes the beheading was pretty “ruthless”. lol
I’m looking forward to the Toyman’s return. Anxious to see what they do with him.
How can you have Clark Kent without superman, you cannot separate the two. Clark in overcoat look liked a cheap knockoff of Neo in Matrix, at least Neo can fly. All the characters in Smallville are bastardization of revered DC characters. There is nothing original by taking someone else original characters, warping and claiming it your own. And the Blur, they stole Flash’s thunder. And with time travel, anyone with some intelligence knows that by taking and re-introducicg lois back in her time line already affected the future, making her visions invalid.
One word about Clark and Chloe’s relationship now: brrr!
“All the characters in Smallville are bastardization of revered DC characters. There is nothing original by taking someone else original characters”
you can’t rip off your own (DC’s) characters
I think the show needs to do a lot to redeem itself after the anti-climax of Clark’s ‘blink-&miss it’ fight with doomsday. I find it frustrating that the producers are still finding time for ‘filler’ episodes like the most recent one with toymaker & Oliver feeling sorry for himself is dragging on a lot. If this is the final season, every episode should be about clark & his destiny/Krypton/Zod & his troops. I hope there are no more random meteor power characters because although it was fun in early seasons, this theme has been exhausted. I appreciate that once Clark can fly Smallville wouldn’t really work, but surely us fans deserve to see him fly and have a huge fight in the last ever episode!?….
Clark did fly, season 4 episode 1 when Lex was in the jet with the crystal. His cousin did alot of flying also.
(“All the characters in Smallville are bastardization of revered DC characters. There is nothing original by taking someone else original characters”
you can’t rip off your own (DC’s) characters)
You can, comic book writers for DC have more right to developed this characters, because of their understanding of its history.
Whilst PRODUCERS of the show are more interested in changing them to suit their needs, like ratings. Last time i checked shuster and siegel where the original creators of Clark Kent not the producers.
After watching episode 4, I must sadly say that I’m done with Smallville. Each episode has become worse and worse. Last episode with the Zombies, very very lame. The jet at the end that spewed the blood into the clouds, was done so badly, that it reminded me of an early 90′s Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Universe episode. Compare that effect, to season 4′s flight of Clark, and you’ll see what I mean. Episode 4′s writing was done so badly. Lois pitching in a monster truck… yes, that makes sense, whooooop-di-doo. Clark interrogating Toyman, even though he could easily have saved Oliver’s life. The constant switching between mind-reader Clark and reality??? Poor poor poor. The show has become a mere shadow of it’s former self, and I’d rather quit watching now, than have it destroy the awesomeness it had in prior seasons even further. Sorry Smallville, you’ve lost one of your biggest fans to date.
I think youre wrong, i have been watching since day one and i still love every second of this show, the past four episodes have been of a really high quality. The effort is really being put in on season 9.
Yes, of course the majority of fans are wrong.
And complaining about the effects??? Do you not suspect they had more money to make the show during season 4??? I for one think Smallville has fantastic effects considering the meager budget the show gets!!!
Funny all the peple i have talked to are really enjoying this season, and i was only offering my opinion, so the sarcastic response was hardly warranted.
True, yes, the budget might be smaller than previous seasons, but then they can make due without the effects and use another way to show viewers what’s happening. Take for example the plane incident. They could rather have shown a diagram on a computer screen, indicating that the clouds are being seeded, than that tacky sequence that could’ve been done by a high school student, and blender (www.blender.org) in about 4 days’ time. The show is becoming tacky. There is no excuse for that. Just producers wanting to milk the cow for more green.
The comment was hardly sarcastic. Fact of the matter, the people you speak to, are probably in the same mindset as you, hence your social circle. If you look at ratings, and the fact that the show has moved to the Friday time slot, the majority of fans have decided that the show over and done with.